RB: I confess to being completely stumped here. I can see that Black is better - the bishop is looking unopposed down the long a8-h1 diagonal, the centralised rook dominates the open e-file, and the queen can go to c6 or e7 with all kinds of horrible threats. White, on the other hand, looks uncoordinated and passive: the rook remains on its original square, the bishop is on the first rank, and even though the queen is in the enemy camp it looks stranded rather than menacing. The g2 square also looks vulnerable, especially if Black swings the rook or queen across to the g-file. But what to do? The bishop has no moves; nor can I find a better square for the queen. 29 f3, to try to blunt the bishop, badly weakens the kingside. Maybe I should play 29 h3 to give the king an escape route? Or maybe I should try to get my rook into the game? There's only one square, c1. I know it's routine, but I just can't see anything better - so 29 Rc1.

DK: Straight into the trap. Black replies 29...Qc6 and the game is over. If 30 Rxc6, Rxe1 is a back-rank checkmate, and 30 Rd1 allows 30...Rxe1+ 31 Rxe1 Qxg2 mate. Ronan at least has the consolation that he did no worse than the Grandmaster playing White - this was how the game ended. The theme of the weak back rank recurs with remarkable frequency at all levels.

What should White play? Creating an escape square is clearly a priority. So 29 h3 suggests itself, but the passive position of bishop and rook make me uneasy. White has no counterplay, and that can be fatal when the opposition pieces are so active. Instead, I would take a deep breath and go for 29 f3. Exposing the second rank is incredibly risky, and 29...Re2 highlights that, but 30 Bf2 activates the bishop and if 30...Rxb2, then 31 Re1. Objectively, White might be lost, but with all his pieces in play, he has a fighting chance of saving the game.